Manifold set separating device



July 11, 1961 J. ZALKIND MANIFOLD SET SEPARATING DEVICE Filed Jan. 51,1958 a m P 2e INVENTOR. J0 SEP/l znua/va,

United States Patent 2,991,522 MANIFOLD SET SEPARATING DEVICE JosephZalkind, 22 W. 22nd St., New York, N.Y. I

Filed Jan. 351, 1958, Ser. No. 712,510

8 Claims. (Cl. 24- 66).

This invention relates to devices for removing carbons interleavedbetween the writing sheets of manifold sets, and more particularly tosmall, readily portable devices for accomplishing that purpose.

It is an object of the invention to provide a small and economicaldevice in the nature of an ofiice appliance which can be convenientlykept stored in a desk drawer when not in use and which is provided withmeans for effectively gripping the stub of a manifold set and holding itsecurely while the opposite free margin of the set is pulled by hand inorder to separate the leaves of the carbons held in the stub.

It is another object of the invention to provide a small device whichcan be easily manufactured and which will be of rugged structure andhaving a minimum of moving parts.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a device of the kinddescribed which can be easily operated by fem-ale ofiice personnel witha minimum of physical effort.

It is a still further object of the invention to provide a manifold setseparating device capable of producing a shingling effect when thickmanifold sets are separated, by merely placing the free margins of themanifold set between the gripping elements of the device and manuallypulling on the stub.

Briefly, my invention comprises a base of box-like structure for housing-a bell crank lever actuatable by a manually depressible button whereinthe lever carries round headed rubber engaging pegs. In co-action withthe pegs which constitute the male member of a jaw, a female jaw memberis provided into which the pegs protrude whereby the margin of amanifold set is compressed and firmly gripped between the pegs and thegroove or depression which forms the female element of the jaw. Thecoacting surfaces of the plurality of pegs the stub ends of the sets maybe placed between the jaw elements. However, it is of advantage to gripthe free ends in the jaw and apply tension by manual gripping of thestub margin since this avoids tearing away pieces of the sheets due touneven finger pressure.

My invention now be described in greater detail in conjunction with theappended drawing in which:

FIG. 1 is a plan view of the device.

FIG. .2 is an elevation showing the position of a manifold set and themale jaw element in dotted lines, when in gripping condition.

. FIG. 3 is a section through 3-3 ofF-IG. 1 showing 'a manifold set inposition ready to be gripped with the jawelements separated.

' FIG. 4 is 'a section through 44 of FIG. 3.

FIG. 5 is a view similar to FIG. 3 showing the jaw elements closed andgripping a manifold set, with a shingling effect; and

FIG. 6 is a section through 6-6 of FIG. 5.

Referring now to the drawing, the invention comprises a base 10 whichcan be conveniently fabricated of sheet 2,991,522 Patented July 11, 1961metal having slanted sides as shown in FIG. 2 and providing a topsurface 12 on which can be rested a manifold set 14 or a plurality ofsets, depending on thickness of individual sets, as indicated in thedash lines in FIGS. 2, 3, and 5. Base 10 has heightened sides to form asupport and housing for a metal cast element 20 which may be fastened asby bolts or screws 24 to the heightened sides of the base as indicatedon FIG. 2. The bottom of the base may be closed by a bottom closureplate 26 if desired, which may be fastened in any suitable way. Theelement 20 constitutes a bell crank support for the bell crank 30,carried pivotally on a pin 34, which may be of cast metal and having apair of ears 38 through which pin 34 passm rotatively, the pin beingsupported in a pair of depending lugs 42 all as shown in FIG. 6 wherethe simplicity of construction is clearly illustrated. A spring 45 iswound around pin '34 and has one end bearing against the bell crank andanother end bearing against the bell crank support as shown in FIG. 3 sothat the bell crank is biased to a downward position, as shown. The bellcrank carries a plurality of spaced, aligned studs 48 which are taperedas shown and which carry a plurality of round headed rubber buttons 52force fitted and frictionally held on respective studs 48. The outer endof the support casting 20 is formed with a continuous concave groovesuch as the trapezoidal shaped groove 56, which groove can accommodatethe row of rubber button elements 52 when the bell crank is swungcounterclockwise to closed position, as shown in FIG. 5. A pair of earssuch as 60 are formed integral with the bell crank 30 and will beunderstood to be spaced apart a distance suitable to accommodate thediameter of the shank 63 of a knob or button 66 which rises upwardly outof the housing element 20 through an oversized bore 69. The lower end ofthe shank 63 is pivotally connected as by a pin 72 to the ears 60. Thus,it will be apparent that the shank 63 has suflicient play within thebore '69 so that pressure on button 66 will permit the shank to go intothe housing 20 and force the bell crank 30 into counterclockwiserotation. No binding will occur with this construction due to the factthat bore 69 is made suitably oversized.

As noted in FIG. 3, a manifold set 14 is placed on the surface 12 witheither the top or bottom margin of the set between the open jaw elementconsisting of the groove 56 and the spherically headed rubber jawelements 52. It will be apparent that when the button 66 is pressed'asby the palm of an operators hand, bell crank 30 rocks and the elements52 press the margin of the manifold set into the groove 56 to effect avery secure gripping if the manifold set is thin, for example, just oneor two sheet-s. The stub end may be thus gripped between the jaws.However, if the manifold set has several sheets it is then preferable tohave the free marginal ends gripped between the jaws and due to theco-acting shapes of the spherical buttons 52 and the tapered sides ofthe groove 56, a shingling eifect as indicated in FIG. 5 is produced.Such shingling effect is of considerable advantage as is well known inseparating manifold sets since the pull on the stub end, not shown, isthen exerted on the sheets one at a time instead of all the sheetssimultaneously and thus separation of each sheet along its perforateline of attachment with the stub is more easily accomplished. I

Having thus described my invention I am aware that various changes maybe made without departing from the spirit of the invention and thereforeI do not seek to be limited to the precise illustrations herein givenexcept as set forth in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a device of the class described, a base having a panel upon whichto rest a manifold set; a stationary jaw element above said panel, amovable, co-acting jaw element normally disposed below the plane of saidpanel, said jaw elements being normally spaced apart to permit insertiontherebetween of a manifold set, manual means for actuating said movablejaw element upwardly beyond the plane of the panel to engage a manifoldset against said stationary jaw element, said panel being foreshortenedto permit motion of said movable jaw element above the plane thereof,whereby a manifold set may be rested on said panel with a margin thereofdisposed intermediate the spaced jaws and whereby said movable jaw maybe actuated to grip said margin between said jaws.

2. In a device as set forth in claim 1, said stationary jaw elementhaving a trapezoidal trough therein and the other of said jaw elementscomprising a plurality of pegs having compressible surface elementsdisposed to engage the margin of said manifold set and force said margininto the trough of the co-acting jaw element.

3. In a device as set forth in claim 1, and resilient means whereby saidmovable jaw element is biased away from said stationary jaw element.

4. In a device of the class described, a base having a panel upon whichto rest a manifold set; a stationary jaw element above said panel, amovable, co-acting jaw element normally disposed below the plane of saidpanel, said jaw elements being normally spaced apart to permit insertiontherebet-ween of a manifold set, manual means for actuating said movablejaw element upwardly beyond the plane of the panel to engage a manifoldset against said stationary jaw element, said panel being foreshortenedto permit motion of said movable jaw element above the plane thereof,whereby a manifold set maybe rested on said panel with a margin thereofdisposed intermediate the spaced jaws and whereby said movable jaw maybe actuated to grip said margin between said jaws, means rockablysupporting said movable jaw element and said manual means comprising aplunger reciprocal vertically and co-acting with said rockable jawelement for rocking said jaw element into gripping engagement, saidmeans also comprising a bell crank lever, and a housing, said leverbeing pivoted to said housing, there being a bore in said housing, saidplunger having a slidable and loose fit in said bore and being pivotallyconnected to said bell crank lever.

5. In a device of the class described, a base having a panel upon whichto rest a manifold set, a jaw element above said panel and a co-actingjaw element normally disposed below the plane of said panel, one of saidjaw elements being movable and manual means for moving said one jawelement toward said other jaw element, said panel being disposed tosupport a manifold set in a plane intermediate said separated jawelements with a margin of said manifold set disposed therebetween and ina position to be gripped thereby, means rockably supporting said movablejaw element and a plunger generally reciprocal on a vertical axisco-acting with said rockable jaw element for rocking said rockable jawelement into gripping engagement, one of said jawelements having atrapezoidal trough therein and the other of said j-aw elementscomprising a plurality of pegs haw'ng compressible surface elementsdisposed to engage the margin of said manifold set and force said margininto the trough of the co-acting jaw element.

6. In a device of the class described, a base having a panel upon whichto rest a manifold set, a jaw element above said panel and a co actingjaw element normally disposed below the plane of said panel, one of saidjaw 4 elements being movable and manual means for moving said one jawelement toward said other jaw element, said panel being disposed tosupport a manifold set in a plane intermediate said separated jawelements with a margin of said manifold set disposedtherebetween and ina position to be gripped thereby, one of said jaw elements having atrapezoidal trough therein and the other of said jaw elements comprisinga plurality of pegs having compressible surface elements disposed toengage the margin of said manifold set and force said margin into thetrough of the co-acting jaw element, and means whereby said movable jawelement is biased away from said co-acting jaw element, said co-actingjaw element being relatively stationary.

7. In a device of the class described, a base having a stationary panelupon which to rest a manifold set, said base supporting a jaw elementabove said panel and a co-acting jaw element supported by said basenormally disposed below the plane of said panel, one of said jawelements being movable and manual means for moving said one jaw elementtoward said other jaw element, said panel being disposed to support amanifold set in a plane intermediate said separated jaw elements with amargin of said manifold set disposed therebetween and in a position tobe gripped thereby, one of said jaw elements having a trapezoidal troughtherein and the other of said jaw elements comprising a plurality ofpegs having compressible surface elements movable into said trough anddisposed to engage the margin of said manifold set and force said margininto the trough of the coacting jaw elements, said compressible surfaceelements comprising rubber caps of rounded configuration carried byrespective pegs.

8. In a device of the class described, a base having a panel upon whichto rest a manifold set, a stationary jaw element above said panel and amovable, co-acting jaw element normally disposed below the plane of saidpanel, said movable jaw element being actuatable upwardly beyond thepanel plane, and manual means for actuating said movable jaw element,said panel being foreshortened to permit motion of said movable jawelement beyond the plane thereof, said panel being disposed to support amanifold set in a plane intermediate the separated jaw elements with amargin of said manifold set disposed therebetween and in a position tobe gripped thereby, means rockably supporting said movable jaw element,and said manual means comprising a plunger reciprocal vertically andco-acting with said rockable jaw element for rocking said rockable jawelement into gripping engagement with a manifold set resting on saidpanel so as to grip said manifold set between itself and said stationaryjaw element.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS687,421 Caldwell Nov. 26, 1901 898,460 Gray Sept. 15, 1908 953,631Medendrop Mar. 29, 1910 1,229,730 Edwards June 12, 1917 1,871,719 MeaderAug. 16, 1932 2,061,878 Niemann Nov. 24, 1936 2,145,224 Huppert Jan. 24,1939 2,519,969 Ketcham Aug. 22, 1950 2,579,835 Lather Dec. 25, 19512,660,628 Kilgen Nov. 24, 1953 2,673,612 Zalkind Mar. 30, 1954 2,791,447Bresler May 7, 1957

